Establishing a routine to get back on track with a diet

Lisa met her goal of losing 100 pounds by her 40th birthday, but the struggle continues. Click through to read about losing the first 100 pounds or click on the links below to read about the new challenges.More >>

Lisa met her goal of losing 100 pounds by her 40th birthday, but the struggle continues. Click through to read about losing the first 100 pounds or click on the links below to read about the new challenges.More >>

I tried writing in this space about a month ago and got three paragraphs into it before I gave up. I just feel like I'm saying the same things over and over and not making any real changes that stick. But all I can do is try again and keep trying until I get out of this rut.More >>

The first thing you need to know before reading this is that I hate dealing with rain on a workday. Dodging umbrellas and puddles puts me in a cranky mood all day and at work I'm the first person to suggest ordering in for lunch.

So, of course, it was raining and cold on October 1, the first day of my "Get Back on Track!" month. The day I had a doctor's appointment before work (and would need to avoid the bagel place for breakfast) and the day I had pledged to go to Subway for lunch. Raining.

I am proud to report that I sucked it up, went out of my way IN THE RAIN, and started the month off right.

And I've actually stuck to my plan every day since!

I decided to keep my goals and approach to getting back on track this month very simple, focusing mainly on sticking to a food plan and cutting out alcohol. I also decided that since I'm really focusing on this as an isolated month to kick-start my efforts, and not a long-term lifestyle change, I can be stricter with myself than I normally would be.

I am actually a willing creature of habit and like doing the same thing every day – it takes chance and decision-making out of the equation. So I spoke to my trainer, Mark, about what the "perfect" breakfast and dinner would be to go along with my Subway lunch (I decided on Subway for lunch because every other time I've been successful with a diet, I've relied on them for lunch).

We decided that for breakfast, I'd have eggs with vegetables and for dinner, a lean protein and more veggies. I know that one of my weaknesses is sweets, so I am also careful to plan treats throughout the day. Mark said that was okay as long as I keep to my calorie limit.

For where I am right now and where I want to be, we decided to try 2,000 calories as a daily allowance. We'll see how that goes and tweak as necessary. Mark broke that down for me into specific goals for carbohydrates, fat and protein. Each day, I'm shooting for 165 grams of carbs and protein and 75 grams of fat. Surprisingly, I have trouble getting in enough healthy fats. Unsurprisingly, I've gone over on carbs almost every day.

Here's yesterday's food diary… which came in at 1,935 calories, 169 grams of carbs, 175 grams of protein and 66 grams of fat:

I'm feeling good. I'm feeling in control. The only drawback so far is that I'm definitely falling back into some bad scale habits, weighing myself at least once a day, sometimes twice. I decided, though, that I'd give myself a pass on that this month. I'm also not giving myself a hard time about going to the gym. I see my trainer twice a week and that's a good start. Next month I'll start adding more gym time.

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